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At a SWIFT conference in March, Cheryl Gurz, manager of the emerging technology segment for BNY Mellon Treasury Services, cited new technologies, including the blockchain technology used by the cryptocurrency bitcoin, as a possible threat to banks’ dominance in cross-border payments. The blockchain is a distributed ledger, hosted on many servers simultaneously.
Companies that need to make payments across borders traditionally have done so via wire transfers that travel from bank to bank via the correspondent banking network.
Gurz and other speakers on the SWIFT panel noted that providers like Ripple Labs, which uses blockchain technology, and Earthport, which makes use of different countries’ ACH networks, can handle cross-border payments in fewer steps than the correspondent banking system.
Gurz warned that if banks don’t keep on top of emerging payments technologies, “new entrants will completely take our space.”
Cross-Border Payments: Ripe for Disruption?
Lee Kyriacou, a managing director in payments at consultancy Novantas, argued that wire transfers work pretty well for corporates. “I’m not sure there’s something so fundamentally wrong or inadequate with the system that you’ll see wholesale changes,” he said.
While ACH is cheaper than wire, wire transfers have the advantage of being irrevocable, Kyriacou said. Even if ACH systems move to same-day timing, a payment made by ACH is “not irrevocable,” he said. “You can challenge the payment. A wire is a wire. It’s done. Goodbye.”
But Bob Stark, vice president of strategy at Kyriba, which provides SaaS treasury solutions, said he’s starting to see interest among corporate clients in new payment methods.
“Part of it is just finding lower-cost ways of delivering those payments to beneficiaries, especially in emerging markets,” said Stark, pictured at left. “The second part is that the use of cryptocurrencies—bitcoins and other currencies like that—is in play, which obviously bank channels aren’t designed to handle.”
Kyriba’s treasury solution links to “a small but growing number” of nonbank payment providers, he added, all in response to requests from clients.
Stark said, though, that alternative payment channels may fall short in terms of treasurers’ two main considerations when it comes to making payments: convenience and risk.
Making payments through a bank satisfies both of those concerns. “It’s simple, it’s easy, the infrastructure is there,” he said. “There’s also a lack of risk. You’re dealing with a large institution. If that bank fumbles the payment, and somehow it doesn’t get there, you have a contract with them that remediates any issues.”
Most of the nonbank payment providers “aren’t name brands; they don’t have the reputation for having done this for a long period of time,” he said.
“Second, what remediation is there if something goes wrong?”
Even if a smaller payments provider has insurance in place, there’s the question of how easy or difficult it would be to resolve the problem of a payment that didn’t reach its destination, Stark said. “There could be lots of steps to recover those funds.
“The potential is that they definitely replace some more traditional ways of sending payments, especially to emerging markets,” Stark said, and added that new entrants are also likely to encourage banks to come up with “more innovative and competitively priced products.”
Alternative Payment Providers
Gareth Lodge, a senior analyst in the banking practice at research and consulting firm Celent, noted that payments are also occurring via the procure-to-pay networks, such as GT Nexus.
But Lodge noted that despite all the talk about “alternative payment methods,” such as Earthport or PayPal, “the vast majority sit on top of existing payment networks.
“They’re payment providers, not payment networks,” he said, but added that that may be what a consumer or corporation wants.
“If you’re sending $100,000 to a supplier in another country, or $100,000 to buy a house in a different state, what you want to know is that the people you’re using are reliable, are secure,” Lodge said. “That’s what a lot of these other networks haven’t achieved.”
Companies’ willingness to consider alternative, less reliable payment methods may vary with the size of the payment, he suggested. “If you’re sending $5, perhaps your expectations and your willingness to compromise some of those for a cheaper rate might be greater.”
One wild card is how new payment methods will be regulated, Lodge said. “It is a fundamentally different technology and approach to the market we’re seeing,” he said. “I’m not sure all the regulation applies that well to it.”
Stark said more regulation could make innovative payment providers more attractive to treasurers concerned about the risks involved. On the other hand, regulation “may increase some of the costs that make them attractive options in the first place,” he said.
Immediate International Payments
Paul Thomalla, senior vice president of global corporate relations at payment systems company ACI Worldwide, predicted the faster payment systems that are starting to come online around the world, like the Faster Payments Service in the UK and the G3 Immediate Payments system in Singapore, will start to attract companies that need to make international payments.
Once a payment has been approved internally, a corporate treasurer would like to pay directly, said Thomalla, pictured at right. Currently, the payment instruction “goes to a wholesale bank, the wholesale bank manages his liquidity and currencies, and if it’s going to a different country, there are generally lots of steps.”
If a company had its ERP system linked to an immediate payment system, the treasurer “would press that button, pay whatever currency in whatever country, and get a message back,” he said. “That’s what a treasurer wants. He doesn’t want these intermediate steps and paper processes.
“The fact that it’s going to be cheaper will drive a lot of that change,” he said. “Second, they can integrate it into their ERP systems.”
Thomalla predicted, though, that even if payments start to migrate, very large payments would be handled differently. “I believe there will be a need to white-glove very large transactions, transactions that are so large that they are systemically critical either to the bank or the treasurer,” he said. “There will have to be some kind of network to do that.
“But right now the reliance on wire traffic will start to diminish as people move to ACH and to faster payments, especially from an international point of view,” Thomalla added.
Bitcoin Technology Still Unproven
The blockchain technology behind bitcoin has attracted a lot of attention, in part because it is perceived as very low-cost.
But Thomalla argued that while blockchain technology is promising, “it is quite a way from being proven.”
He compared blockchain technology to the Intel chips within his laptop, and noted that he doesn’t use the Intel chips, but Excel and other applications that run on the laptop. “What you’ve got with blockchain is raw technology,” Thomalla said. “It’s the application on top that’s going to make the difference, and I don’t think we’re close to that yet.”
Kyriacou argued that characterizations of the blockchain as a low-cost method for maintaining information about payments are mistaken.
The bitcoin miners that maintain bitcoin’s blockchain technology are being rewarded with the value of the bitcoins they generate, he said, and he estimated that the value of the bitcoins mined to date totals US$2.5 billion. “That’s an expensive system, not a cheap system,” he said.
Kyriacou suggested that the blockchain technology could support useful applications. For example, in trade finance, the blockchain might be a way to document and confirm the shipment of the goods being financed, he said.


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By now just about everybody agrees the streets of Pendleton are worn out and breaking apart. The cause of such wear and tear is obviously due to the vehicles we all drive on these streets day after day.
Over the past 30 years the size and weight of our cars and trucks have increased substantially, which has hastened the street damage. The most direct way to pay for street repair is to tax the vehicles that create the problem. A gasoline tax is equitable, as the heaviest vehicles that do the most street damage also use the most gasoline, so they will pay a little more at the pump. But a fuel tax on all vehicles means everybody chips in.
No one likes taxes, but let’s face it, folks, we created the problem, so it’s up to us to pay for its solution.

domain: news


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As the countries starts rolling out for COVID vaccines, the world sees the light at the end of the tunnel. In a post-pandemic world, what changes will we experience? PayPal and SkillsFuture talked about the implications between New Normal and Normal, and how corporates help employees to gain more awareness about their skills.
As stay-at-home orders and country-wide lockdowns start to ease across Asia, people are more excited than ever to connect during the holiday season and undoubtedly, holiday shopping is a priority for many. PayPal and motherswork talked about navigating online and offline business demands in the new normal.
As globalization has made us all more connected and open to diversity, it has also acted as a rude awakening for many companies. Co-founder of Love, Bonito shared her inspiration in creating the unique brand and tips on finding the perfect gifts during this pandemic.
Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, more consumers have been shopping online, leading to the rise of e-commerce. However, we’ve also seen an increase in the number of online scams and malpractice. PayPal and Zalora discussed how customer safety can be safeguarded amid the surge in online scams and phishing attempts.
The lead up to the holiday season is a good time to consider how merchants can capture cross-border opportunities and how they can capitalize on the boost to online shopping in different markets.


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BGMI, India’s version of PUBG Mobile has been removed from the Google Play app store and App Store due to “national security concerns”.
At the end of 2021, PUBG Mobile returned to India after a year of being banned from the country with a new name: BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India). However, by the time this FPS survival game hit a record for the number of players, the BGMI app was removed from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The ban has not been officially announced by the Indian government, but as reported by Reuters, the BGMI was removed for violating article 69A of the Information Technology Law issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India. . At the present time, many users have been unable to log into the game as the server has been closed.
Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn reassured gamers and announced that their personal data will be kept confidential, and the publisher will work with the relevant authority to resolve the issue. subject:
“Dear BGMI users in India, we are committed to the Indian market and extremely optimistic about the opportunity in this country. We have always followed the laws and rules in India, including including data protection laws.
We thank you for your love and support for this game throughout the past journey, and we hope to continue to receive support in the future. Right now, you have a lot of questions about the most popular game here: BGMI. Currently, we are trying to connect with the competent authorities to join hands to solve the problems.
We will continue to update the situation when there are updates as soon as possible. We can’t wait to deepen our relationship with India and elevate the country’s gaming ecosystem.”
PUBG Corp announced the Indian version of the title in November 2020 to address the ban, which Indian politicians also soon called for. PUBG Mobile was named Mobile Game of the Year in 2018 at The Game Awards and is one of the most popular games in India.


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Where is Mac2maconline's headquarters?
Mac2maconline's headquarters is in Chico California, USA
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Mac2maconline has 35 employees
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Stay up-to-date with the latest news on Mac2maconline


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Mobile Gaming Brings The Game ALIVE In New regions
Mobile gambling identifies playing casino games of luck or skill for cash on a mobile device just like a smart phone, tablet or even a palm top computer with a mobile web connection. The idea behind this innovative new gambling trend is that the casino can offer its customers an improved gaming experience using a portable gambling machine than they might get at a traditional online casino. With today’s hi-def gaming videos and hi-def images, the thought of gambling at home in front of a PC or console just doesn’t seem possible anymore. But the good news is: it is possible to enjoy playing your favorite casino games from the comfort of your own mobile gambling device.
The international gambling industry is growing extremely fast, with more countries opening up their casinos and removing casino gambling from their public places. In the US, this growth is particularly interesting because many states have banned gambling altogether, while some states are trying to encourage visitors to move their gambling indoors. Subsequently, the demand for legal gambling sources has generated new business opportunities for all those in the gambling industry, specifically for companies offering mobile gambling equipment and software development.
There are some amazing advantages to making use of your smart phone or tablet as a device for mobile gambling. First, you don’t need to use a laptop or desktop because your device is always with you. Secondly, you don’t need to be near an web connection since your device includes a high-speed wireless internet connection and no data plan. Lastly, because you can play from anywhere, you will not have to worry about coming to a hotel or another location where access to a computer is available.
In New Jersey, there are lots of mobile gambling locations opening up each year. As well as the fact that you don’t have to use a laptop or other device to play, a number of these gambling venues are located within tourists’ attractions along with other prime business areas. This helps it be convenient for tourists to visit the websites and gamble while they’re in New Jersey. However, many of these gamblers elect to play at these locations if they are in New York City as well. That way, they can enjoy all of the benefits of both gambling in New Jersey and New York City concurrently.
However, it is not easy to open a mobile gambling venue in the usa. This is because of the fact that most states in the union do not recognise gambling apps as gambling devices. Therefore, you won’t have the ability to operate them on cell phones. However, this does not imply that all is lost. There are plenty of exciting new projects being done by innovative developers who want to create innovative gambling apps for the iPhone along with other new smartphones.
One particular company, called Appiction, has created a mobile gambling experience that allows users of the iPhone to play free mobile casino games on the run. The company claims that this new technology allows players to “mobile gamble” – meaning they are able to log right into a free online casino account via their smartphone and wager virtual money from anywhere there’s an available signal. Players will never be limited to how many cards they can play with. They are able to literally take their smartphone with them to the nearest real-world casino and play for their hard-earned cash. With this innovative method of mobile gambling, no more will players have to worry about going to a brick-and-mortar casino to enjoy their favorite casino game.
Two years ago, this company was in the process of developing a brand new online casino application. After much anticipation, that project was delayed indefinitely. However, last April, it had been announced 넷마블 포커 a new project with exactly the same concept as Appiction would launch later this year. This time, it will launch being an iPhone and Android mobile gambling application. The name of the brand new project has not yet been revealed, nonetheless it is expected that it will follow the footsteps of its predecessor, Appiction.
With this new innovation, the mobile gambling industry will expand into new regions with highly popular locations. There are already talks of NEVADA being among the first states to launch mobile casinos. Mobile gaming is really a direct response to what people want out of the way to spend their free time. It provides the chance to gamblers of most ages to see live action poker hands, soccer games, bingo, scratch offs, horse betting, and also live football games wherever they may live. With so many exciting new mobile casino games to pick from, it is easy to understand why this type of gambling is now more popular among today’s sophisticated gambling consumers.


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California has enforced a new law to mark the New Year that can make massive strides in fighting food waste in the United States. In fact, if it is effective enough, it might forever change the way the region tackles the issue of food waste.
Before the pandemic caused by the coronavirus, about 35 Million United States citizens faced food insecurity. Unfortunately, this number has gradually risen over the past few years, instead of dropping.
The Senate Bill 1383
One of the issues that the new California Law will tackle, known as the Senate Bill 1383, is the issue of food insecurity. It states that all food suppliers, including grocery stores, must donate all food waste that is still edible to a food bank or an organization that rescues food.
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As per a report by the Recycle Track Systems, the United States records the highest amount of food waste in the world. The monthly amount is estimated to be almost 40 Mn tons. The annual amount comes to 80 Bn pounds. This staggering number is about one-third of the entire food supply in the country. Sadly, the majority of this food waste is sent to rot away in landfills.
As such, a lot of food is thrown away by supermarkets and grocery stores because they are past their “sell-by” dates. However, the foodstuff may not have expired by then. This results in tons of perfectly edible food rotting away in dumpsters.
This law also goes hand-in-hand with one more California law that has been recently introduced. It requires residents of the state to dispose of food waste in green bins, along with any other organic compostable waste. Several municipalities in San Diego have already begun this program.
An Immensely Positive Reaction
A facility for Feeding San Diego handles several thousand pounds worth of food waste daily, as reported by KTNV Las Vegas. Patty O’Connor, the chief officer in charge of the supply chain at this organization, revealed how she was inspired by her father to do this work.
In her interview with KTNV, she talked about how her father would rescue food as much as he could on his own. He would do so by visiting the local grocery store twice every week early in the morning and picking up all the food that was leftover. Then he, along with a friend of his, would drive and donate it to a catholic charity in the locality. O’Connor considers the new California law to be “a win-win all around”.
John Votava, the corporate affairs director at Ralph’s grocery chain, stated that his company has been doing this work for over 4 years. He said that rescuing food made them feel validated more than anything.
+BOX is a non-profit program for food assistance whose HQ is in Carlsbad. In an interview with NBC 7 San Diego, +BOX’s executive director, Wesley Burt, explained that the new law will massively increase the supply. He added that there are people in San Diego who need it.
Greg McGuire, the Strategic Partnerships Director of +BOX also noted that keeping this food waste out of landfills is going to help in another way. It will reduce the greenhouse gasses that landfills generate.
The new California law is among several other laws in other states that aim to confront food waste. Some other cities and states include Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.


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Merry mobile Christmas: Rovio, Disney and Storm8 enjoy monster festive download spikes
It's no surprise, then, that mobile games developers are reporting record download spikes for the holiday season.
For instance, Finnish firm Rovio has announced that Angry Birds games accumulated more than 8 million downloads on Christmas day 2012, and 30 million downloads during the seven days beginning 22 December.
Meanwhile, Imangi Studios co-founder Keith Shepherd announced festive figures for Temple Run via Twitter, explaining that the game accrued more than 1 million Christmas day downloads on iOS, more than 1 million on Android, and more than 500,000 on the Amazon Appstore.
Take a peak
Imangi Studios also contributed to Disney's festive success, as Temple Run: Brave was one of the games that helped the House of Mouse generate 15 million downloads over the five-day period beginning 22 December.
That figure represents a 98 percent increase in downloads against the same period in 2011, and Disney also reported a 400 percent year-on-year increase in peak daily active users, which spiked at 7.5 million.
Finally, California-based developer Storm8 has also been participating in the stat-sharing, announcing that its portfolio of social games generated 2 million downloads on Christmas day alone.
That equates to a four-fold increase in downloads when compared an average day. More importantly, perhaps, Storm8 also saw a Christmas day increase in average revenue per user of 350 percent.


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According to Trump Golf Count, Trump has spent a total of 87 days at a golf course called Mar-a-Lago which have cost more than $60million. The US President makes regular weekend trips to golf courses in Palm Beach, Florida and Bedminster, New Jersey. The cost of the 24 flights to Mar-a-Lago have cost an estimated $46million (£35m), and the cost of the 19 flights to Bedminster have cost an estimated $14million (£11m).
Meanwhile, the cost to guard coast off Mar-a-Lago is around $21million (£16million) and the costs to Bedminster and Palm Beach are around $14million (£11million).
Finally, the cost of Trump's stay at Turnberry, Scotland is around $68,800 (£52,940) and the luxury car rental is around $1.3million (£970,000).
The site also estimated that Trump will visit golf clubs 299 times within a four-year period from 2016.
In eight years, this could amount to 598.
READ MORE: Bercow


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Back on March 1, 2010, the price to take an FAA test went up by $50 (from $100 to $150). That was due to new requirements the FAA placed on the two testing companies that forced them (CATS and PSI Lasergrade) to charge a new $50 ODA fee.
Now the price for a test is likely to go up again. The testing companies are anticipating increased costs due to paperless processing of applicant sign-ups/registrations. So don't be surprised if your basic price for a test goes up by $15 to $165.
PSI Lasergrade is currently offering AOPA ($10) discounts and EAA ($5) discounts.
CATS is currently offering AOPA ($10) discounts.
As always, we wanted to keep you informed.


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This is a scary thought isn’t it?
Lack of consumer PC protection is a global problem. McAfee, the world’s largest dedicated security technology company, today reveals shocking findings from a global study set out to determine the percentage of personal computer owners without any working protection. In a study that analyzed data from voluntary scans from an average of 27-28 million computers per month, McAfee researchers found 17% of the world is browsing the internet completely unprotected.1 Out of the 24 participating countries, the United States landed in the top 5 least protected.
“The freedom to browse the internet comes with the added risk of unwanted exposure, and cybercriminals are preying on unsuspecting victims”
Browsing the internet on an exposed computer not only increases the risk of identity theft and data loss, but it can contribute to the spread of harmful programs and nasty viruses. Even if you think your personal computer has basic protection installed, it is important to make sure your security software stays up-to-date. Research also found many of the scanned computers have disabled or expired software. Within the United States alone, 19.32% of consumers are unprotected.
83% of global PC owners have working basic security protection2
17% of PCs scanned had no anti-virus software installed or it was expired
Finland came out on top as the most protected, with only 9.7% of PCs lacking any security protection
Singapore came out on bottom with 21.75% of consumer PCs completely unprotected
The United States is the 5th least protected country, with 19.32% of Americans browsing the Internet without any protection – 12.25% of consumers have zero security protection installed; 7.07% have security software installed but disabled
Spain had the highest percentage of PCs without any installed basic security protection at 16.33%
Singapore had the highest percentage of users, 11.75%, with installed, but disabled, security protection
Consumers globally say 27% of their digital files would be “impossible to restore” at all if lost and not backed up properly, and had an average value of $10,014 US.
“The freedom to browse the internet comes with the added risk of unwanted exposure, and cybercriminals are preying on unsuspecting victims,” says Steve Petracca, SVP and GM of consumer, small business and mobile at McAfee. “With the increasing number of global cyber-attacks affecting consumers, it is critical that the 17% of consumers that are unprotected update their virus protection before it’s too late.”
Available Product Solutions:
McAfee AntiVirus Plus instantly detects and blocks computer viruses and helps to stop web threats before they are downloaded to a consumer’s PC. This suite includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-phishing, identity and firewall protection, as well as PC optimization tools. The suggested retail price for McAfee AntiVirus Plus is $49.99 US.
McAfee makes it easier than ever for consumers to protect all of their devices with award-winning McAfee All Access, which protects all of a consumer’s digital devices for $99.99 US. McAfee All Access is a single solution that protects consumers’ PCs, Macs, smartphones, and tablets from a variety of threats–wherever they connect. Consumers stay safe when they shop and surf on the net, visit social networks, click on online images, or use their email—no matter what device they’re using.
1 PCs scanned either had no anti-virus installed or the software was installed, but disabled.
2 Basic security protection is defined as working anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall technologies.
Note: Due to rounding, country data may show a variance of ±1%.


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Sep 2, 2021By: Shaurya Shubham
After announcing its next big mobile title globally a couple of months ago, Krafton is finally bringing the game to India. The game is expected to launch later this year and pre-registration for the game is already live.
The battle royale game will launch on both Android and iOS operating systems. Pre-registrations too are live on both the platforms.
The game will be based on the same battle royale concept that we have come to know with PUBG Mobile and BGMI. It is just expected to offer a better gaming experience with more realistic graphics.


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Americans bought a large number of piggy banks for Christmas this year.
"We definitely noticed a trend with the piggy banks," said Erin Mara at Homebody, a design store in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC.
"People were very upfront about the need to save...the pig is very symbolic of that sentiment," she said.
Saving is always a good idea. But does the saving need to be in pig form? The little one in tights got a pug bank (complete with curly tail) for Christmas.


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Chinese online travel agency Fliggy has partnered with the British Museum in London to livestream exhibition tours in a bid to boost traveller confidence. Sam Ballard reports
The British Museum has partnered with Fliggy, Alibaba’s online travel platform, to give behind-the-scenes, livestream tours in a bid to encourage Chinese travellers to return to the UK once travel restrictions lift.
The stream lasted for two hours with 370,000 people watching during the first minute.
Viewers were guided around the museum by Chinese-speaking guide Yiman Lin, who explained the history of some of the British Museum’s most famous artefacts, including the Rosetta Stone, the statue of King Ramesses II, the Parthenon sculptures and the double headed Aztec serpent.Roderick Buchanan, the British Museum’s commercial director, said: “It has been amazing to be able to livestream this tour of some of the museum’s most-loved objects. A visit to the British Museum is a ‘tour around the world’.
“With international travel restrictions still in place, we wanted to find a new way to give prospective visitors a chance to experience the museum and by partnering with Fliggy, we’ve been able to do just that.
“Using livestreaming technology, we can offer thousands of people in China VIP access to our exhibitions showcasing the richness and diversity of the museum’s extraordinary collection, as well as share travel top tips.
“We can’t wait to reopen and look forward to welcoming people from across the globe, when it is safe to do so.”Currently, Fliggy brings together more than 400 airlines and air travel agents, more than 8,000 scenic spots, more than 600,000 hotels and inns as well as hundreds of thousands of local entertainment activities.
Leveraging Alibaba’s ecosystem, Fliggy also provides merchants in the travel industry with a rich digital platform to help them engage with Chinese travellers. With diverse travel service offerings and digital innovations, Fliggy acts as a one-stop shop for Chinese travelers seeking the ultimate travel experience.
Chinese e-commerce site Alibaba has also held livestream events of other European attractions, including the Palace of Versailles, Serbia’s capital Belgrade and the Nuuksio National Park in Finland.
David Lloyd, General Manager, UK, Netherlands and Nordics for Alibaba Group, said: “Travellers from China are crucial to the UK’s tourism industry and prior to the pandemic demand remained high, with 2020 flight bookings from China to the UK up 33 per cent year-on-year.
“Livestreaming offers an entirely new perspective for Chinese travellers who are keen to explore the UK once travel restrictions ease. Instead of simply recording a video livestreaming gives customers an opportunity to take a closer look and to learn more about the museum.”Livestreaming has become central to marketing campaigns in China. Fliggy alone has hosted 30,000 livestreaming tours since February of this year, attracting more than 270 million views.
Lloyd added: “Visit Britain estimates that one job in the UK’s tourism industry is created for every 22 inbound Chinese tourists, and we hope today’s livestream will provide the travel industry with a much-needed boost when travel restrictions lift.”
Chinese spending power
The British Museum first entered a partnership with Alibaba’s online licensing platform, Alifish, in 2016 to help it develop a product portfolio that’s tailored to the China market.
Two years later, it launched a flagship store on Tmall, making it the first international museum to do so. Its first batch of products sold out within 16 days, becoming so popular that it had to replenish stock shortages more than 30 times in two months. Today, the store has close to 1.45 million followers.
Last year, Fliggy launched an e-commerce portal to make the shopping experiences of Chinese tourists easier. According to KR Asia: “The shopping tab exists on the opening screen of the Fliggy app, just below the customary booking services for transportation, lodging, and tourist sites.
“Users can browse and select products, then set a preferred time and location to pick up the goods. They have the option of paying upfront to guarantee their purchase and avoid queues. The feature could improve the shopping experience for Chinese traveling by sidestepping language barriers.”
According to an interview on Jing Travel with Eduardo Santander, executive director of the European Travel Commission, the number of Chinese tourists expected to go to Europe will be deeply impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
He says: “As we move towards 2024, the number of Chinese tourist arrivals to Europe is expected to grow annually by 2.6 per cent. This is a significant slowdown compared to the annual growth rates that we expected before the Covid-19 pandemic, which stood at 7.1 per cent.
“In terms of the category of tourists we are likely to see arriving in Europe, we expect an increase of Free Independent Travellers (FITs), more independent and self-guided trips, and a shift towards smaller groups rather than large group tours.”
What’s coming next? Trend reports available to download HERE


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Online Casino Industry: Recession Proof?Published November 6, 2015 by Lee R
The low cost of online gambling needs to be protected by effective and responsible self-monitoring by providers.
A 2012 placed the online gaming industry's worth at an approximate £14 billion in global value.
The relatively low cost of entertainment and easy access to the activity are certainly key factors which the internet provides.
The benefits of technology combine with traditional proclivities of the public to seek relief from stress and uncertainty inherent to economic crises, and popular online casinos such as bet365 Casino, Winner Casino and Jackpot City serve as that outlet.
Online casinos also provide benefits such as cash prizes which are more welcomed during economic crises of course. They also provide additional revenues to struggling federal economies in Europe who have worked on regulation models for online gambling.
Obviously, online gambling can feed addiction as well, but successful sites that are allowed to operate have demonstrated social responsibility to the governments that issue them licenses, so that issue is being squarely addressed as well. The public can see these efforts through additional hotlines and warning pamphlets on their sites where online gambling is being offered.
The diversity of games of the biggest sites ensures that there will be some wagering available to all preferences; the work now falls to operators to develop flexible and efficient approaches to Internal Audits.
Since online gambling sites have often been used in the past as fronts for money laundering, the guidelines for internal audits need to be particularly clear, specific, uniform, and transparent. This comes on the heels of a call by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors to improve the 25% figure of online operators conforming to the International Standards.
Protecting against addition is even more essential in desperate economic times, so that the strong marketing push and high engagement levels of the convenient online websites that are performing so well on the European market will not feed the potential for further addiction in those at risk. That is why internal audits and responsible marketing are two essentials of the continued survival of the online gambling industry, no matter what the financial figures say.


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Donald Trump has approved Oracle Corp.'s bid to purchase the U.S. operations of TikTok. According to Bloomberg, the president told reporters on Saturday that he had approved of the deal "in concept", though no further details about what exactly that means was offered at the time. This comes just ahead of the ban on TikTok and WeChat's impending ban which is set to begin in on Sunday.
"I have given the deal my blessing," Trump said on Saturday. "I approved the deal in concept."
The new company formed by Oracle's purchase will be called TikTok Global and, according to Trump, will be headquartered in Texas where it will hire as many as 25,000 people and contribute $5 billion toward U.S. education.
Last week TikTok owner, ByteDance, declined Microsoft's bid to acquire the company, something that had been widely reported since the Chinese-owned app came under fire earlier this year. Oracle ended up winning the bid for TikTok's U.S. assets, with the tech giant swooping in to make the deal before the deadline Trump had previously placed on the sale of the popular video app.
Earlier this summer, Trump said that he would ban TikTok in the United States over potential national security risks, specifically over the question of data security. First launched by Chinese internet technology company ByteDance in 2017, TikTok first became available in the united states on August 2, 2018 following a merger with the short lip-sync video app Musical.ly. The TikTok app soon became popular in the United States, though last fall U.S. lawmakers began questioning how safe it and other Chinese-owned platforms are. At that time, Senators Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton asked the U.S. intelligence community to assess the possible national security risks of TikTok, noting that the app (and others like it) could potentially be used to spy on American citizens or be in foreign influence campaigns.
While Trump's approval of Oracle's purchase of TikTok is likely to bring relief to users, it's worth noting that it's not yet a done deal. The Chinese government also has to sign off on the sale in order for it to go forward. It's unclear what Trump's approval for the deal means for the impending ban of new downloads of TikTok set to go into effect on Sunday. though it's reported that Beijing will sign off on the deal so long as ByteDance doens't have to transfer the artificial algorithms that are at the heart of TikTok's service.


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If you have logged into Pinterest today and greeted by a “Namaste” written in Hindi, don’t be startled. This is not an April fool’s day gag! Pinterest has added ‘Hindi’ to its list of language options today, thereby launching the Hindi version for its ever-growing Indian user base. So what’s this noise all about and what changes do we actually get to see from today? Read on to know more –
The high points of these changes are as follows –
With the addition of Hindi now Pinterest supports 24 of world’s premier languages
Why this sudden inclusion of Hindi in Pinterest?
Well, the experts are saying that Pinterest, although not as popular as Facebook or Twitter in India is slowly and gradually coming in the front row, in terms of popularity, among Indian social media users. In 2013, a study by media group Semiocast showed that India ranks 10th in terms of the number of worldwide Pinterest users with US topping the chart followed by the UK. However, with smartphones becoming the next big thing to grab for the average Indian consumer, Pinterest usage in India has doubled in the last 6 months. This must have been the signal that the Pinterest management was long waiting for, and hence the inclusion of Hindi.
The upcoming parliamentary elections in India might also be a catalyst, as a reputed journalist remarked in a tweet earlier today. Pinterest being essentially a photo sharing medium and with increasing number of political cartoons and memes circulating in the social web in the build up to the elections, Pinterest will play a big role, as now Non-English speakers too would take advantage of Pinterest just like they do with Facebook, another industry veteran remarked.
Only time will tell the impact of this change, but as for the commoners it’s a welcome post- Holi treat! So what are you waiting for? Roll up your sleeves and start pinning in Hindi.


text: Tesla took his worst turn yesterday. After it was found that the share of the builder of electric cars is not included in the S&P 500, the share Tesla decreased by 21 percent. Investors had speculated that the car manufacturer would find a place in it. Since last week Tesla’s share of the Nasdaq Technology has already dropped by a third – from around 500 to 330 dollars. On the other hand, since the beginning of this year, the price has risen explosively. According to Business Insider, this is an increase of almost 800%. Many stock exchange experts find Tesla’s price overvalued. “We think this is one of the greatest House of cards of all time. And that it’s about to collapse,” said American stock market expert David Trainer to CNBC last weekend. According to him, the current stock market price implies a future profitability of the company that should be higher than in an extremely positive scenario. Stock exchange analyst Nico Inberg of the IEX investor website also thinks that Tesla’s strong price increases are now over. That’s what he says in the Belgian newspaper today. ,Tesla is doing well, but there was a tremendous amount of air blown in the course,” it sounds. “Trading data from the popular American investment firm Robinhood show that a large group of retail investors have jumped on a few shares, including Tesla.” The price of Nikola, another builder of electric vehicles, just increased by 40% yesterday. This happened after General Motors (GM) announced that they would invest $ 2 billion in Nikola, in exchange for an 11% stake. At the stock exchanges in New York yesterday, tech funds in particular took a firm step backwards. Big names like Amazon, Apple and Facebook were in the red. The Techmeter Nasdaq lost 11% in the space of a week.


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Is Starbucks A Victim Of Its Mobile Pay Success?
Stores are struggling to keep up with demand as Starbucks digital order-ahead patrons are causing those waiting on line to walk away, incoming CEO Kevin Johnson concedes.
Starbucks is having a problem most brick-and-mortar businesses would love to have: too much demand of the coffeehouse chain’s omnichannel offerings.
During Starbucks’ earnings call with analysts, CEO Howard Schultz touted successful numbers, particularly the addition of 1.8 million Starbucks Reward members in the U.S. year-over-year, bringing the total number to 13 million active members not including the 7.5 million loyalty users in China and Asia Pacific.
“Three years ago, I brought to your attention what I anticipated would be a seismic, evolving shift in consumer behavior resulting from the rapid acceleration of digital and online consumer retail purchase activity,” Schultz told analysts.
“Today, that shift is a foregone conclusion, increasingly challenging brick-and-mortar retailers of all descriptions — and being particularly hard on retailers that are not destinations, do not reward loyalty, or offer relevant digital and online capabilities, or have not built deep, authentic experiential connections to their customers,” Schultz concluded.
The Starbucks head pointed to “nothing short of a surge” in new Starbucks card activations and reloads during the quarter amounting to to $2.1 billion — almost $300 million over last year with over $80 million being incremental.
The double-edged sword of Starbucks’ mobile payment success could be a difficult problem for the company’s business over the next few months. Considering that 27 percent of Starbucks’ revenues now comes from mobile payments, any disruption is cause for concern.
Putting the success — or the problem, depending on how you look at it — in context, the company said that 1,200 of its stores experienced a 20 percent increase in mobile pay and order-ahead during its primary business hours, said incoming CEO Kevin Johnson, who is currently serving as Starbucks’ COO and president.
The year before, about 600 stores were experiencing bottlenecks due to the juggling between mobile orders and traditional walk-ins.
“When a customer walked into a store previously, they would look at the cashier line,” Johnson said during the earnings call. “Now when customers come into the store, they look at the [crowd of people waiting] and see that now we have congestion there.”
Still, Johnson and Schultz pointed to brick-and-mortar rivals and its success in online ordering as a problem most would love to have, as well why Starbucks is immune from other issues plaguing physical brands.
“Unlike retailers whose omnichannel activities comes at a significant price discount or cannibalizes the in-store business, further pressuring business models, Starbucks does not,” Schultz said. “Our card reloads can only be redeemed at a store. And that’s a clear advantage we can build on.”


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LoL Deathmatch 2023 – Details, Release Date and more
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming LoL Deathmatch 2v2v2v2 game mode that was teased at the beginning of the year.
Arena: LoL players will get a new Deathmatch game mode in 2023
The League developers have heard the community’s requests and have confirmed that a new game mode is coming to League this year. Throughout the game’s history, players could access alternative game modes to Summoners’ Rift like Dominion and Twisted Treeline. Unfortunately, both of them were removed by Riot a few years ago. While we were left with ARAM, as well as other temporary game modes like Nexus Blitz, Odyssey, and Doom Bots, players have been unsatisfied with the variety of available game modes.
In an apology video for the lackluster new League of Legends season cinematic, Rioters Brightmoon and Meddler have mentioned that the game mode is already in the works and the prototype has been “promising”. Meddler also confirmed that there will be a different out-of-game experience as well, to the joy of League lore fans.
When is Arena, the LoL Deathmatch game mode going to be released?
The Rioters have mentioned that the Deathmatch game mode should be coming in the Summer of 2023. In the latest April update, lead gameplay producer Ryan “Reav3” Mireles said that the game mode will go live with the 2023 summer event.
Update (June 13): In a recent Reddit threat, Riot Meddler confirmed that the 2v2v2v2v2 game mode will be hitting the PBE servers around June 26-27. He also added that it won’t be a a free for all all at once, but a “series of 2v2” matches in a tournament-like structure, similar to the duel mode of the former Nexus Blitz game mode.
What will the new LoL 2v2v2v2 mode look like?
While we weren’t given many details so far, Riot recently confirmed that there will be a new map for LoL deathmatch. Below is a teased concept art piece around what the Deathmatch arena could look like when players jump into the battle for the first time.
The League 2v2v2v2 mode will have four teams of two picking champions and be paired against another team in several deathmatch-style rounds. Champions will progress in power over the game, gaining items, levels, and special powers called Augments in between the combat rounds. Teams are eliminated after losing enough rounds and you will be allowed to queue up for new games immediately. Riot Meddler mentioned that it’s going to be a “League-ified TFT Double Up mode”.
While the details of the game mode haven’t been confirmed yet, the dev team gave us a quick overview of the League’s version of Augments. They said they are going to be power-ups that are intended to create unique builds for the champions played. The champions can either empower their core strengths or flex into some new ones to add variety and create cool, unique combat situations.
To give an idea, these are some of Riot’s tentative power-ups they have tested so far:
- Sylas who casts Lissandra W every 5 seconds
- Ekko with 500 attack range
- A Kai’Sa who dives the enemy team, dies immediately, and then creates a huge explosion post mortem that wipes out a huge chunk of her two enemies’ remaining health
Riot said that they are going to let release this in an “experimental state”, meaning that some players might be able to try the new game mode over the next few months. With more info coming in, this new deathmatch mode is bound to become a refreshing way for League players to enjoy the game and push champion customization to new levels.


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In a surprising move today, Steve Jobs submitted paperwork to make a move to own the lowercase letter “i.”
“It’s a natural evolution of our product offerings,” he explained in a press statement, “first we had the iPod, then the iPhone, the iPad and even the iClock. Let’s face it, Apple pretty much has cornered the market on products beginning with the letter ‘i.’ You could even say, we pwned it”
The surprising announced rippled through the Bay Area, causing an uproar among high-tech companies and literary agents alike. Today, Microsoft plans to submit papers to trademark the lowercase letter “e” – which not only pits them in direct conflict with poet e.e. Cummings, but is also a move that’s about 10 years too late.


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In 2019, Cattini & Figlio established one of its branches in India, named Cattini Power Transmission Pvt Ltd, as an international base on Indian territory.
The mission of the new branch is to be the center of excellence for manual transmission systems worldwide, providing customers with a wide range of excellent synchronizers for agriculture, construction vehicle and trucking segments.
Cattini India to invest 20cr in Pune facility
Cattini & Figlio continues its expansion in the Asian continent: the company will invest 20cr in its Indian branch over the next five years.
The production facility is expected to commence operations in January 2024 and represents a significant step in Cattini’s growth strategy to expand its presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
The company plans to significantly strengthen its presence on the continent, especially in terms of exports.
Cattini, an Italian company, has been manufacturing mechanical components and power transmission systems since 1954.
After 60 years of endless evolution, the company has become an indisputable player worldwide, able to serve discerning and demanding customers in the industry.
Among its customers Cattini enrolls all major agricultural tractor manufacturers worldwide and the majority of manufacturers of commercial vehicles, construction equipment and drivelines. Almost all vehicle’s transmission requirements can be covered today by its manufacturing program.
Visit the Cattini website to learn more!


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In a celebratory news from the developers of Biomutant, Experiment 101’s parent company Embracer Group confirm that the game has sold over 1 million copies. The game was released on May 25th 2021 and later as the quarter ended in end of June 2021, it was confirmed that the game has sold 1 million sales including PlayStation, Xbox and PC.
Embracer said in their quarter report; “The main revenue driver in the quarter was the release of Biomutant from our internal studio Experiment 101”. “So far, the game has sold more than one million copies.”
Alongside they also stated; “The full investment into development and marketing as well as the acquisition cost for Experiment 101 and the IP, was recouped within a week after launch.”. Which means, they recovered the funds for development of the game as well the cost of acquiring Experiment 101 along with Biomutant IP.
This was a surprise to many as the game received mixed reviews and had a lot of bugs when launched. Though the gameplay and storyline were good, some reviews states the game as ‘a wasted potential’ & ’ overly ambitious mechanics and dull combat’.
We covered about post launch issues and how developers reacted to it in earlier post, check out here!


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Will Revenge Buying be a Thing Post-Lockdown?
Behavioural science, marketing and consumer psychology are accustomed to terms such as impulse purchasing, conspicuous consumption and, most recently, panic buying. But a new phenomenon seems to have been gaining traction as Covid-19 lockdown begins to ease around the world: revenge spending or revenge buying.
“There is something almost you could call revenge buying,” Volvo chief executive Hakan Samuelsson.
“People are really tired of sitting at home locked in and they really want to go out and buy.”
— Sonia Shenoy (@_soniashenoy) May 21, 2020
This term was initially coined in 2011, describing signs of revenge spending that date back to the 1980s — specifically within China. It relates to how the nation came out of long-term hunger, and into food and restaurant sprees that overwrote the past experience. Today, it is used to describe wealthy or spendthrift consumers’ urge to spend money that they couldn’t spend on luxury brands when lockdown prevented them from accessing flagship stores, and all the experience that entails. In 2020, we’ve started to see this pent-up demand in action at the Hermès’ Guangzhou store reopening.
For the Global Retail Industry, the question is whether this trend will hold up and become part of our marketing lexicon. In my view, it is doubtful the term will continue for the long-term, given how such behaviour is already understood as impulse purchasing or derivatives. From a behavioural science perspective, revenge buying could be argued to be a negative phrase that, in turn, means consumers are unlikely to adopt and attribute to their behaviour. This ultimately will make it hard to track unless research is done with specific stimulus to probe this behaviour. Still, these issues to one side, the emergence of the trend over COVID-19 is very interesting to both the retail sector and researchers.
What does revenge spending mean to consumers?
Language is important to our understanding of the phenomenon: “revenge” is an action to benefit someone in recompense for something harmful/hurtful done to them. However, when spending money is the action, revenge buying becomes a misnomer — especially when the action of revenge involves a direct “loss”, which is money in this case. Currently, the phrase is used in the retail and marketing world as an observation translating to increased sales in China. But considering that consumers are the ones who spend money in “vengeance” within this description, people will be less likely to call their purchases “revenge” buys. Therefore, understanding this phenomenon brings a need for increased sophistication in research design around the topic.
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Revenge buying has become the topic 𝘥𝘶 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳 in the luxury fashion world as brands have seen a small but not insignificant bounceback in China-based sales since the country’s lockdown ended. Will it be the salvation of the luxury industry? Savoir Flair investigates this strange new movement at the #linkinbio. 📸 by @angelababyct #angelababy #shopping #luxury #luxurybrands #luxuryshopping #fashion #fashionista #ootd #revengebuying #opinion #china #linkinbio
To date, revenge-buying has been associated with a niche and affluent consumer group that is motivated by status, prestige and self image enhanced with material possessions. This means that when it comes to revenge buying data, not only is the social data volume negligible because of the terminology itself, it’s also limited to retail-publications’ owned conversation on social media. The average consumer population outside wealthy countries like China and the United Arab Emirates (where we see increased volumes of revenge buying buzz) may not practice revenge buying for luxury products after all.
Post-lockdown specific shopping intent vs. generic shopping intent since the beginning of the year – latter shows a consistent presence amongst consumers.
To understand the triggers and urges behind “revenge buying”, it’s important to explore how consumers talk about similar buying behaviour — behaviour that they don’t mind owning and talking about. When we look at global social media conversations for purchase/shopping intent, retail therapy plans, shopping spree urges or anticipation to spend saved money, Pulsar data shows that there is growing buzz coming from the worldwide consumers in general. So what we can monitor is a Covid-19-induced willingness or impulse for more daily/material “gratification”, and desire for the pleasures of shopping, rather than use industry lingo and terminology which may have semantically negative connotations.
“When this is over…”
As consumers get “itchier” to go back to their normal lives, which our data detects to be increasing especially from mid-March 2020 onwards, more conversations are being shared about what people wish, hope and plan to buy “when the lockdown is over”. This coincides with the time when a number of countries started to share plans to ease or lift lockdown in some areas of society from mid to late March 2020.
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When this is over I want to….hug my family and friends, dine out, dance till the sun comes up, travel to a far away place and remind myself daily to appreciate everything and everyone. How about you? What do you want to do when this is over? #covid19 #whenthisisover #whenthisisoveriwantto #inthistogether
Clearly, this has unleashed consumers’ plans to go back to normal routines, or get back the shopping pleasures/treats they would normally have. The so-called “lockdown fatigue” is sinking in for a lot of consumers and a new layer of impatience has been added on to their post-lockdown plans, as numerous countries’ lockdown exit plans started to get increased airtime across global media outlets.
“When this is over” themed post-lockdown shopping plans content is low in volume, however vocalisation of plans saw a consistent climb in the last couple of months.
The conversations and engagement around the “when this is/the lockdown is over” and shopping theme saw about 440% increase from 15th March to the highest peak we saw on 25th April — literally from a handful to thousands and counting today. So we can monitor how consumers continue to plan to buy things, but also what they plan to buy or treat themselves with when the lockdown is over. This includes everything from booking luxury holidays to weekend getaways, the latest gaming consoles and wearable fitness tech, all the way to buying new clothes, shoes and accessories — even cars.
When we investigated “impulse purchasing”, which is a more widespread conversation driver for online purchases according to our data, we saw a consistent and similar trend line amongst consumers. Similar to the “when this is over” conversations, mid-March onwards is when we see consumers owning the impulse purchase conversations and sharing what they bought in lockdown/look to buy in the future. The need for consumers to feel good in a low-stimulus lockdown environment meant that they aren’t just planning for post-lockdown shopping out of boredom and fatigue, they are also likely to have more savings than usual because they spend less during lockdown.
Revenge buying related conversations are almost non-existent, while impulse buying/purchasing related content proves to be a better signal for consumer usage and engagement, showing over 350% increase in volume on and after March 15.
Revenge buying vs treating oneself vs impulse purchases
Thinking about the niche affluent consumers who are observed to be revenge buying, it’s likely that a) they will not talk about it as much as the average consumer would on social media given they are used to luxury, and b) once the lockdown has passed, they will just go back to their regular luxury-led frequent shopping behaviour. This means that this surge seen in China is likely to just blend into general affluent consumer behaviour elsewhere in the world and not remain “a thing”. On the other hand, general behavioural signals around impulse purchases or “treating oneself” — especially when freedom of shopping is restricted — will remain a part of our day-to-day because both of these phenomena can result from various restrictions or changes in consumers’ individual lives anyway.
Our analysis shows how important it is that researchers and retailers alike put themselves in the shoes of their customer and start with behavioural signals and their derivatives when analysing data. “Treating oneself” in times of deprivation of any kind (lockdown meant inability to meet friends and family, closure of shops etc.) is a phenomenon that will remain as long as Covid-19 continues to spread. As a result, we can say that online retail could continue to see increased demand not just for essentials but for things that make consumers feel good about themselves, their immediate surroundings and the rest of the world.
The problem with “treat yourself” is that I don’t know how to stop? I had a bad day at the start of lockdown and I’ve been treating myself ever since??
— b.b (@benoobrown) May 20, 2020
When the lockdown is indeed over, it’s likely that we will see many of consumers’ shopping plans turn to reality — so we will see increased footfall and spend offline too. Of course, it’s highly possible that this will be a brief phase before consumers revert to being very careful with money. Nonetheless, these trends present the retail sector with positive opportunities to re-engage consumers and tap into latent shopping motivations.


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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Nerds across the Rocket City collectively rejoiced as the first guest of the 2023 Huntsville Comic and Pop Culture Expo was announced Monday.
The star of one of the most iconic sci-fi franchises in history, William Shatner himself, is expected to grace us with his otherworldly presence in April of next year.
Shatner is most well known for leading missions across the galaxy as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek.
The 2023 Huntsville Comic and Pop Culture Expo is set to happen April 21-23 at the Von Braun Center South Hall.
Tickets are on sale now, with weekend passes starting at $50 for early shoppers.
Chandler Riggs, Bryce Papenbrook, Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson, and Ashley Eckstein were also announced as being expected to attend.
Unfortunately, all guest availability is subject to change. Keep your fingers crossed that Captain Kirk’s booking remains locked in.


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Rejoice y’all. Fashion Retail brand Mei Dei, started by Wonuola Odunsi Okoye after parting amicably from the retail store L’Espace is hosting it’s first proper event, the Mei Dei Style Festival.
This is huge, because this is the first in-house event being hosted by the retail brand, even though it has played host to apparel brand 24 for the launch of it’s collaborative collection with Dj Cuppy.
Partner with Haute Fashion Africa and Fashion Business Africa, premier destinations for fashion news and industry related content, MeiDei will host customers to a three day party that coincides with the three day holiday the national Democracy Day and Worker’s day will provide.
With a Hawaiian themed Tiki Friday, a Wellness Saturday that most likely features products and services from it’s renowned beauty bar and Sunday, it’s iteration of the popular Coachella festival featuring it’s 50+ vendors, this is definitely going to be the event of the month.
To find out more check out their instagram or check out their store at New3 Old 6 Ogbunike street, Lekki, Lagos.


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What we can say is that for the past few months between the Star Wars license and the robots, it's been a real love story. When the next opus arrives in theatres at the end of the year, the brands play the Star Wars card and rack their brains to offer you robots that are ever closer to the characters you may have discovered in the movies.
As a reminder, we presented you here the different Star Wars robots of the Sphero brand, which you can find in our news and in passing available in our shop:
It is now the Ubtech brand that is getting started and offers you its brand new interactive robot Stormtrooper, available since October 3 only.
Fans of the series can therefore be delighted since they saw the arrival in the same week of a new trailer for the upcoming film "The Last Jedi", a first version of the latest video game from the "Star Wars Battlefront 2" license and this new robot with a new kind of artificial intelligence.
What we can say is that the brand has not skimp on the design and that this new robot is rather nice to look at. That's not what we ask him in the first place, but a beautiful design is always pleasant, especially when you've seen the character in his favorite movie.
In terms of functionalities, the main ones will please robot enthusiasts since we can note among others:
Like all toy robots today, the Stormtrooper comes with a mobile application that allows you to give voice commands whether near or far from you, but also to launch attacks via lightsaber sounds or to talk with people in your home.
In terms of facial recognition, the robot is able to identify and recognize 3 different people, which will allow it to have personalized interactions with each of them: it will treat them as allies or members of the resistance to whom it will of course not give them any gifts!
The Stormtrooper application is to be connected via wifi but none of your personal data will be recorded, all of which is correctly encrypted.
From a price point of view, it is not negligible since it will cost 349€ to have this new robot at home. A significant sum but which is justified by a more developed artificial intelligence than the average, the company Ubtech having made it its specialization.
The Ubtech company behind the Stormtrooper robot is based in Shenzhen, China. It was founded by James Chow, a pioneer of humanoid robots who owns several high-tech companies.
The company designs, manufactures and sells intelligent humanoid robots as well as the equipment or software that goes with them to make them work thanks to artificial intelligence.
It first became known for its Alpha 1S robots or Jimu, a Lego type robot for educational purposes for children. Today, it is with a latest generation toy robot that she is making people talk about her.
I suggest you to finally discover this video put online only 15 days ago and which will give you a small glimpse of this new robot full of future!


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If you’ve been looking to stock up on your favorite liquor, you’re in luck.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is holding a 50% off clearance sale on more than 3,300 products online and at its Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores.
The sale started Monday and will run until the last item sells out. Items on sale include wine, vodka, whiskey and rum.
“This is our biggest sale,” PLCB spokesperson Shawn Kelly said.
PLCB has previously held 30% and 40% off sales, Kelly said.
Kelly said PLCB occasionally holds sales throughout the year when items build up in stores and warehouses. He said the sales help make room for newer items coming to shelves.
“We are going into our busiest time with the holiday buildup,” he said. “We sell the most in November and December.”
Kelly encouraged customers to shop online, as selection varies and some brands may sell out faster than others, depending on stores’ foot traffic.
Orders of more than $99 placed on FWGS.com are eligible to receive free shipping to any Pennsylvania address.
PLCB on Wednesday also reported record net income for the 2021-22 fiscal year, with wine and spirits sales topping $3 billion for the first time.
The $3.02 billion in sales marked a $109.9 million increase from the previous year. The PLCB said it approved $2 million in grants in support of Pennsylvania’s beer and wine industries and awarded nearly $1.4 million in alcohol education grants during the year to reduce underage and dangerous drinking.
(c)2022 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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Tea News for the week ending April 14
| A Billion People Participate in Earth Day Activities
Earth Day Organizers Honor Just Ice Tea Founder Seth Goldman
| Iran Snubs India Suppliers as Tea Exports Set Record
| Long-Running Drought in Kenya Depresses Tea Yields
| PLUS Vahdam Tea founder Bala Sarda is launching a new line of 25 Indian spices grown free of adulterants and pesticides and manufactured without artificial colors. Initially, Vahdam spices will be sold directly to consumers and later offered in grocery stores.
Hear the Headlines
A Billion People Participate in Earth Day Activities
More than 1 billion people participated in Earth Day in the past year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.
This year’s focus was investing in the planet, a theme embraced by many tea companies. “Everyone accounted for, everyone accountable,” comments Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG who writes that the environmental awareness campaign that began in 1970 is now celebrated in 192 countries.
“In 2023 we must come together again in partnership for the planet. Businesses, governments, and civil society are equally responsible for taking action against the climate crisis and lighting the spark to accelerate change toward a green, prosperous, and equitable future. We must join together in our fight for the green revolution and for the health of future generations. The time is now to ‘Invest In Our Planet.’”
Yogi Tea is an example. During the past year, tea team members planted 300 trees in the US. In Germany, the company helps wild bees and in Italy, the company hosts educational sessions and community cleanups. See yogitea.com for suggestions on what individual consumers can do to make a difference.
Just Iced Tea founder Seth Goldman, Cofounder and CEO of Eat the Change, Chair of the Board of Beyond Meat, and Co-founder of PLNT Burger and Honest Tea, will receive Earth Day’s 2023 Climate Visionary Award in recognition of his exceptional leadership and decades of tireless efforts as an innovative entrepreneur, environmental and climate activist, and philanthropist.
Rogers writes that “his bold passion for democratizing plant-based and plant-healthy foods worldwide has significantly contributed to solving the challenge of climate change and building a strong and equitable green economy.”
“This year’s honorees are leading the way to create widespread awareness and accelerate critical action to change the trajectory of the defining crisis of our time: the climate crisis.,” said Rogers.
Goldman and several other notable earth advocates were recognized at Earth Day’s annual Climate Leadership Gala, on Saturday, April 27 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC.
Iran Snubs India Suppliers as Tea Exports Set Record
Iran imported a record $665 million worth of tea in the fiscal year ended March 20, 2023.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) said tea exports estimated at $44.2 million were also at record levels, increasing by 90% in the five years ending 2021. Exports were up 34.8% compared to the same period last year, according to IRICA.
Volume totals exceeded the previous fiscal-year high in 2014 despite cutting off trade with India. Export value totaled $38 million that year, plummeting to $6 million during the pandemic when lockdowns prohibited guest workers from nearby countries from plucking tea.
Iran was once one of India’s top tea export destinations, accounting for almost half of all Indian tea exports. Iran also shipped teas to India, valued at $4.3 million in 2021.
In November 2022, Iran initially slowed and, in December, stopped sourcing tea from South India auctions by refusing to register new contracts, a requirement for landing tea at Iranian ports. The pullback remains unexplained but may be related to internal protests and violent clashes in major Iranian cities. During the past three months, withdrawal from tea auctions has depressed auction prices for orthodox categories.
The auction at Kochi is most impacted.
“Nobody knows what’s happening in Iran,” Ansuman Kanoria, chairman of India Tea Exporters Association, told the Hindu Business Line “Shipments have been made under previously registered contracts, but even their payments are coming very slowly. New orders are not getting registered, and it’s a very difficult situation,” Kanoria said.
The IRICA release indicates Iran continues to import premium-grade tea from trading partners Turkey, Germany, China, Japan, Vietnam, and Poland. The main export destinations include neighboring CIS countries, Iraq, Canada, Spain, and the Czech Republic.
Tea is popular in the nation of 88 million, where annual consumption is around 120,000 metric tons per year, according to the Iran Tea Association.
Iran’s 55,000 tea farmers are concentrated in Gilan Province. Local suppliers in the northern portion of the country produce about 30% of domestic consumption. Growers earn around $15 million annually (about 4 trillion rials) in sales to the government, which processes the tea. Harvesting begins in May, with production rising by double digits during the past few years. The market prefers top-quality leaves (about 79% of total output is processed as orthodox black tea).
Long-Running Drought in Kenya Depresses Tea Yields
Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) officials reported this week that scarce rainfall and high temperatures depressed first-quarter tea yields by 100 million kilos in the Mt. Kenya and Embu regions.
Export volumes declined by 19% in 2022 to 450 million kilograms, the first drop in volume since 2017. Output fell slightly to 535 million kilograms because of unfavorable weather.
KTDA Chair David Ichoho [I CHO HO] told a gathering of 225 directors representing 37 factories that the demand for orthodox teas from Kenya is rising.
“Orthodox tea, which includes oolong, green, white or black tea, has a high demand, and KTDA has identified markets that require more than 2 million kilos annually,” he told the directors.
Ichoho said KTDA is initiating a program supporting the processing of orthodox tea for export. Kenya currently exports 95% of its tea, with only 5% consumed in the domestic tea market.
BIZ INSIGHT – Meanwhile, in West Bengal, India, weeks of temperatures between 35 and 40 degrees centigrade have inhibited the second flush harvest now underway. A lack of rain has encouraged infestations of red spiders that feed on yellowing tea leaves weakened in the extreme heat. There has been no rain for 15 days, complicated by high winds that increase evaporation. Tea yields average between 1200 and 1500 kilos per hectare in the Dooars. Yields average 2,200 to 2,400 kilos per hectare in bordering Assam.
India’s tea exports for the 2022-23 financial year registered a 17.61% increase in value to more than $800 million US dollars.
Spice and Tea Synergy
By Aravinda Anantharaman
Bala Sarda’s Vahdam Tea turned eight this year. From launching Vahdam as a brand that connects tea drinkers with producers to a range of superfoods with turmeric, moringa, and matcha, Vahdam’s journey has been about an Indian brand offering consumers across the world what they want, direct from the source. The latest addition to the brand is a range of Indian spices, now offered not unlike their tea. We talk to Bala about the new launch and what it means for Brand Vahdam. Read more…
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WASHINGTON — Trade negotiations between the United States and Canada turned tense on Friday morning, as both countries struggled to reach agreement on several key issues and President Trump continued to disparage Canada and its trade practices.
The sudden rocky patch came after days of optimism from negotiators in both countries, raising the prospect that the last-ditch talks to salvage the North American Free Trade Agreement could falter.
The Trump administration had set a Friday deadline to strike a deal with Canada, threatening to move ahead with a bilateral trade pact with just Mexico if an agreement between the three countries could not be reached. After several days of marathon meetings that seemed to presage a deal, the chances of such an agreement by the end of Friday began looking doubtful.
Talks between the United States and Canada remain deadlocked over several contentious issues, including Canada’s dairy sector, its rules governing movies, books and other media, and a mechanism for settling trade disputes between the two countries, people briefed on the talks said.
On Friday morning, the United States trade representative put out a statement saying that Canada had yet to make any concessions on dairy products, which has become a source of ire for Mr. Trump.
“The negotiations between the United States and Canada are ongoing,” a spokeswoman for the United States trade representative said in a statement. “There have been no concessions by Canada on agriculture.”
The public statement was unusual for the traditionally tight-lipped office of Robert E. Lighthizer, Mr. Trump’s top trade negotiator.
Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s foreign minister, said repeatedly this week that Canada and the United States had agreed not to discuss the details of the talks in public while negotiations were taking place.
Arriving for a meeting with Mr. Lighthizer on Friday morning, Ms. Freeland said that she was looking forward to hearing what he had to say after a night of reflection. But after a meeting that lasted more than an hour, it appeared that the two sides were no closer to a deal.
“We are not there yet,” Ms. Freeland told reporters outside of the office of the United States Trade Representative. “Canada is a country that is good at finding win-win compromises — having said that, in trade negotiations, in this negotiation, we always stand up for the national interest and that is what we’re going to continue to do.”
She added: “We’re looking for a good deal, not just any deal.”
The talks were further complicated by a report in the Toronto Star on Friday that quoted off-the-record comments Mr. Trump gave during an interview on Thursday with Bloomberg News. According to that report, Mr. Trump said he had no plans to make concessions to Canada and that any agreement would be “totally on our terms.”
Asked about the authenticity of the quotes, Lindsay Walters, a White House spokeswoman, did not dispute them.
“The Canadian and American negotiators continue to work on reaching a win-win deal that benefits both countries,” Ms. Walters said.
Ms. Freeland said that she did believe that Mr. Lighthizer was looking for a win-win agreement, but took a long pause before answering when asked if the United States was negotiating in good faith.
At a rally in Indiana on Thursday night, Mr. Trump expressed his frustration with Canada and its dairy protections. The president accused Canada of not treating the United States fairly and said that if negotiations failed he would punish Canada with car tariffs.
“If it doesn’t happen, then we’ll put tariffs on the cars coming in from Canada, and that’ll be even better,” Mr. Trump said, complaining about the unfairness of Canadian dairy tariffs. “But I think it’s going to happen, and we’ve really developed a very good relationship.”
Negotiators have been working around the clock to hammer out their final areas of disagreement but talks have bogged down over several areas of disagreement.
Canada has insisted on protections for its publishing and broadcasting industries over concerns that these businesses would be overwhelmed by the much larger United States market. It has also resisted Mr. Trump’s requests to reform its dairy industry. Unlike the United States, which directly subsidizes farmers, Canada uses a so-called supply management system to regulate the volume of imports and keep prices stable for its farmers.
Canada has allowed foreign countries more access to its dairy market in past trade agreements, and agricultural experts said negotiators were prepared to make similar offers in the current Nafta negotiations. However, those offers have fallen short of the broad access and substantial reforms the Trump administration has called for.
The countries are also sparring over a provision of Nafta known as Chapter 19, which allows foreign countries to appeal the duties that the United States levies on them for dumping and unfair subsidies. U.S. officials confirmed that they had eliminated the provision in their agreement with Mexico, but Canadians have insisted it is necessary to protect industries including lumber from unfair rulings in the United States.
Canada, like Mexico, has also been working to find a way to get the United States to lift the tariffs that it imposed on steel and aluminum.
Successfully renegotiating Nafta would be a significant accomplishment for Mr. Trump, who has criticized the 25-year-old pact since its inception and promised to remake it on the campaign trail.
Yet the economic effects of the agreement that was reached with Mexico this week remain unclear. Trade experts who have analyzed the preliminary details have suggested that the proposals would do little to accomplish the bold claims Mr. Trump has made about how reforming Nafta would help the economy, including greatly expanding American manufacturing jobs or cutting the United States trade deficit with Mexico.
The new regulations requiring carmakers to use more domestic content and pay higher wages will most likely raise prices for consumers and could create new opportunities for automobile manufacturers in Europe and Asia to have a competitive advantage in the United States.
Nafta, which was negotiated by President George H.W. Bush and signed into law by President Clinton, helped lock together the economies of North America and led businesses to reorganize their supply chains around the continent, making industries like automakers more globally competitive.
United States trade with Canada and Mexico more than tripled in the quarter century since the deal was passed, and now many products that are imported into the United States from Mexico already contain many American materials and components.
Even so, economists generally believe the deal provided just a small boost to the American economy. And while the deal created distinct winners and losers, with some American towns suffering deeply as their factories moved to Mexico, economists say it actually had little to no effect on overall U.S. employment, as the gains and losses from the deal balanced out.
The Friday deadline was intended to allow the deal to be finalized before Mexico’s new administration takes over in December and to give Mr. Trump a win that he could promote ahead of November’s midterm elections.
But the agreement is far from final even if it is sent to Congress on Friday and is not likely to receive a final vote until next year.
Mr. Trump was scheduled to leave Washington for an event in North Carolina around midday on Friday, providing a narrow window for him to publicly celebrate an agreement with Canada at the White House.
Speaking at a university in Oshawa on Friday morning, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said “we have also been very clear: We will only sign a deal if it is a good deal for Canada.”
Catherine Porter contributed reporting from Toronto.


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Proudly wearing their Ford Scholar rings and varying shades of purple, a dozen Ford Scholar Alumni met up at Bauman’s Farm and Garden in Gervais, Ore., on Saturday, Oct. 11 for the annual autumn alumni social gathering.
The clouds burned off, and it turned into a sunny afternoon. Members of the Ford Scholar Alumni Association Board staffed the FSAA table inside the food court with a front and center view of the fiddle players. Alumni came and went throughout the day. Some picked out pumpkins while others tasted apple cider as the kids navigated the hay bale maze.
“We had great food – apple cider donuts, roasted squash and pumpkin rolls – and even better conversations,” said FSAA Member at Large Michelle Bolduc Culaba.


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How Sweet it is: Wine Industry Owes Sweet Wine Drinkers HUGE Apology!
on 19/10/10 at 11:01 amIndustry
New study shatters myths about wine consumers, uncovers opportunities for wine industry.
A consumer study released today shows that physiology plays a major role in determining wine preferences and that White Zinfandel drinkers are often the most sensitive tasters shattering the myth that about sweet wine consumers. The study was conducted in conjunction with the Consumer Wine Awards at Lodi. Tim Hanni, Master of Wine and originator of the study, says, “We have uncovered a glaring error and misunderstandings by the wine industry that has lead to the disenfranchisement of millions of consumers and a significant loss of market share to other beverages.”


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French auction house again delays auction of 11-kg imperial gold seal
French auction house Millon said it has rescheduled the auction of a 19th century Nguyen Dynasty imperial seal following the Vietnamese government’s interest in it.
This is the second time it is postponing the auction of the 11-kg gold seal. An announcement on its website said: “Due to the strong interest of the Vietnamese State for lot 101 gold seal of Emperor Minh Mang, we postpone the sale of this piece to Friday, November 18, 2022 at noon.”
The seal used by King Minh Mang (1791-1841) drew great attention when it was first put up for auction on October 31.
But then Millon put it off to November 10 before again rescheduling it.
According to the French auction house, the square seal is 10.4 centimeters high and its handle is in the form of a coiled dragon with a raised head.
It expects it to go for 2-3 million euros (US$1.98 – 2.97 million).
Vietnam’s Department of Cultural Heritage has confirmed the seal is authentic. It said Millon deferred the auction to give the Vietnamese government a chance to buy it directly if possible.
It also called on individuals and organizations to join the auction, buy the seal and bring it home.
By Hieu Nhan – VnExpress.net – November 9, 2022


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Regent Seven Seas Cruises will soon have ‘feet on the ground’ again in New Zealand. Oceania Cruises has had BDM Gabby Oliver in market since the beginning of 2022. Steve Odell, senior vice-president and managing director Asia Pacific with the cruise lines says Oceania and Regent have plans for roadshows and trade visits by the Australian teams as well.
‘Trade distribution in general has been hugely affected (by the pandemic) but the core of the people who sell premium and luxury are still there.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises are seeing a positive shift in interest towards 2022 cruises as the markets here start to see a light at the end of the lock-down tunnel.
Senior vice president and managing director Asia Pacific of the lines, Steve Odell, says that while that is happening, interest and bookings for 2023-24 continue at pace.
‘We’ve seen record sales days and bookings from both sides of the Tasman. People are looking at bigger suites – the top half of the suites category – and they are booking longer trips with different destinations.
One of the region’s leading cruise personalities is reminding New Zealand travel agents to stay positive and keep pushing the luxury, small ship category.
The comments by Steve Odell, senior vice president and managing director Asia Pacific of Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises, come at a time when the lines are announcing a progressive return to sailing and pent up demand is filling the ships fast.


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2016 was a great year for LeEco with several successful launches across different categories. While the company launched a series of ecophones, LeEco also ushered in an era of content integrated Ecosystem TVs in India by launching its stunning Super3 X Series ecoTVs. Now in 2017, it is rumored that LeEco will soon be bringing in its next generation of ecoTVs to the country.
The news does sound interesting because as far as the trend in the television industry is concerned, it has veered to Smart TVs where manufacturers are vying to offer consumers more technologically advanced, feature-rich products. While various players in India such as Samsung, LG, Sony, Panasonic amongst have already launched their versions of Smart TVs with a few internet functions added, true smart TVs are still a rarity.
LeEco, on the other hand, has taken this trend a few notches higher with its Super3 X Series ecoTVs and has led the industry with its ecoTV series in providing rich on-demand content and interaction with the user intelligently.
While LeEco's ecoTVs have had a great impact where it became an instant hit in the Indian market, it might be safe to assume that the next launch from LeEco will be more advanced both in terms of hardware specifications and TV viewing experience as a whole.
And as far as the speculations go, LeEco might launch the Super4 X Series ecoTVs. If the rumors are to be true then the Super4 X Series ecoTVs will in all probability be backed by a high performing processor which will likely enhance the 4K experience for users and the overall performance of the TV.
Likewise in terms of storage and audio-video technology, the upcoming Series is expected to come packed with some impressive updates. Overall, the Super4 X Series ecoTVs is rumored to pack all best-in-class features that -will give a tough competition to its peers. Also, as per the reports, it is shortly expected to make its debut on LeEco's own e-commerce platform LeMall.com.
Well, going by the highly positive global reports for the next generation Super4 X Series ecoTVs, Indian consumers can look forward to a superb ecoTV experience.


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During the 2010s, the online gaming industry rapidly grew in popularity and became accessible to more people thanks to the Canadian entrepreneur David Baazov, among other people.
David Baazov is the founder and former CEO of Amaya Inc. (now The Stars Group) and played a major role in the rise of online gaming.
With a revenue of $6 million, his company, Amaya Inc., went public on the Toronto Venture Exchange in 2010. Shortly thereafter, the firm began buying small gambling software developers like Chartwell Technology and CryptoLogic.
As Amaya Inc. became more ambitious, the firm acquired larger online gaming companies such as Cadillac Jack and Rational Group in 2014, which was the move that made Amaya Inc. reach unprecedented heights.
Rational Group owned Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, two of the world’s biggest online poker rooms, so they came into the David Baazov-led firm’s possession and made Amaya Inc. the largest online gambling company in the world. David Baazov was also called the “king of online gambling” by Forbes.
The acquisition, which would prove to change the world of online gaming, was applauded by experts in the industry.
Deutsche Bank’s Gaming and Lodging Analyst at the time, Andrew Zarnett, called the acquisition extraordinary because “a small Canadian company with a market capitalization of around $500 million ended up purchasing a company that was 10 times its size. It is very, very rare for a transaction like that to succeed.”
Amaya Inc. and online gaming regains American players thanks to David Baazov
With David Baazov in charge, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker reached a wider audience in 2015 as the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement gave Amaya Inc. the green light to run internet gambling services in the state under the PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker brands.
Even though New Jersey “only” generated a bit less than $100 million in online gambling revenue over the first eight months of 2015, the approval was interpreted as a big win for the industry as PokerStars went through a legal battle in 2011 that ended up shutting its US website down.
New Jersey was the biggest American state to regulate online gambling.
“The Division of Gaming Enforcement review of PokerStars was extremely thorough and exhaustive, including a detailed review of Amaya’s operations and technology, sworn interviews with more than 70 individuals and visits to approximately a half dozen international jurisdictions,” David Baazov said.
“This stringent review found PokerStars to be under strong, ethical and trusted ownership and management with Amaya, and worthy of participating in New Jersey’s regulated online gaming market,” he added.
In the days after PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were allowed back into New Jersey, the shares of Amaya Inc. rose by 14%.
Amaya Inc.’s acquisition of PokerStars – a game-changer
Under David Baazov, Amaya Inc. launched the poker concept Spin & Go, which is a fast-paced type of online poker that quickly became popular among players. The Spin & Go games do not start at specific times but when enough players have bought in.
Since then, several other online poker sites have adopted the concept.
As the “king of online gambling,” David Baazov viewed online gamers less as players and more as consumers with a mutual interest in online gaming.
He has been praised for his innovative approach to the industry and was among the first in it to see the potential in online poker.
Many newcomers in the field of online gaming look up to David Baazov because of his success with Amaya Inc. and the acquisition of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, proving that he can successfully merge multiple companies.
David Baazov’s leadership and Amaya Inc.’s acquisitions helped to fuel the growth of the online gaming market, which has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. This growth has led to increased competition and innovation among gaming companies, which has ultimately benefited players.
David Baazov: “The King of Online Gambling”
David Baazov is a Canadian entrepreneur and businessman who is best known for being the founder and former CEO of Amaya Inc. (now The Stars Group).
He was born on December 31st, 1980, in Israel and grew up in Montreal, Canada.
During his early years, David Baazov founded a computer reselling company, which struggled initially, but showed potential when he secured a contract with the Montreal Public Library to sell computers. Within just five years, the company’s worth had grown to $20 million.
At 25 years old in 2005, David Baazov sold the computer reselling company and began developing electronic poker tables with software developers. These tables were sold to land-based gambling sites and cruise ships.
This venture became the foundation for his online gaming company, Amaya Inc.
Disclaimer: This article contains sponsored marketing content. It is intended for promotional purposes and should not be considered as an endorsement or recommendation by our website. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and exercise their own judgment before making any decisions based on the information provided in this article.


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Latest news from Clegg Food Projects
Find out more about our recent project updates, company news and comment on the food and drink industry.
Four new projects secured during lockdownPosted 10.07.2020
Construction is set to be a key industry as we emerge from lockdown and we're delighted to have secured four new projectsRead More
Keeping up to date with Campden BRIPosted 17.06.2020
Clegg Food Projects has been a Campden BRI member for more than ten years, keeping us up to date with food and drink production trends.Read More
Celebrating 15 years with the Food and Drink ForumPosted 02.06.2020
Clegg Food Projects is delighted to renew its commitment to the Food and Drink Forum for another year.Read More


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In the following video, a Drone in a police mission in the city of San Francisco, shown performing a number of surveillance tasks
is taken down by a shooting citizen, specifically a blonde woman.
The title of the video, produced by Alex Cornell, a designer and co-founder and creative director of San Francisco-based firm Firespotter Labs, is “Our drone future”, a peek in what a society policed by drones could look like in maybe just a few years. At the peace drone technology is advancing, such a scenario looks quite realistic.
Stay tuned on the Personal Drones Blog for the latest quadcopter and multirotor news!